Improvement



UNITED STATES Pn'rnn'r 0rrrcn.

GEORGE E. PIERCE, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

iMPROVE lVlENT IN AUTOMATIC GAS-EXTiNGUiSHERS AND CUT-OFFS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,9 dated August 27, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. PIERCE, Of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gas-Extinguishers and Gut-Offs for Fluids, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to devices for extinguishing gas at a given time and the improvement which I have made for accomplishing this object consists in arranging the embracinghand for the gas-cock directly upon the winding arbor of a cut-off mechanism, whereby the device maybe applied without having any fixed connection with the cock, and thus adapt the cut-off to any gas-cock in use without in any way interfering with the turning of the gascock or requiring its alteration to adapt it to the cut-off devices. My invention further consists in combining with the cut off or hand which embraces the handle of the cook, a clutch upon the winding arbor for the purpose of utilizing the said embracing-hand as a means for winding up the time mechanism, thus dispensing with a key for that purpose; and my invention likewise consists in combining a sprin gpawl and ratchet-wheel on the winding-arbor, with a cut-ofl' cam on the hour-arbor or spindle of the dial, whereby the said spring-pawl is thrown out of lock with the ratchet-wheel at the moment the dial-pointer is set for that purpose, and in combining with a dial cut-off or earn and spring-pawl, arranged to interlock with a ratchet-wheel on the winding-arbor, an embracing clutch-handfor the gas-cock, whereby I produce a time cut-oft device which may be easily and readily applied to any gas-cock in use.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents aview, in perspective, of a time cut-oflf device embracing my improvements as applied to the handle of a common gas-cock. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of the time mechanism, showing the spring ratchet-pawl and the cam cut-off of the hour-arbor. Fig. 3 represents an elevation of the same, showing the dial-plate, ratchet-pawl, and the ratchet-wheel with which it en gages, these parts occupying the positions when the cam and spring-pawl have effected the cut-off. Fig. 4 represents an inside view of the spring-pawl and eut-ofi cam. Fig. 5 represents an inside view of the clutch of the embracing cut-ofi hand 5 and Fig. 6 represents a sectional view, showing the embracing cut-oft hand with its clutch, disk, and gas-cock handle.

The time mechanism may be of any suitable construct-ion for the purpose,-inelosed within a cylindrical case, A, which may be conveniently attached to a lamp-post or a bracket of any gas- I'iirture. Concentric with the hour-arbor B the dial-plate O is secured and upon the windin garbor D a ratchet-wheel, E, is fixed. To the inner end of a sleeve of the pointer-plate F a cutofl' cam, G, is secured, so as to turn with the pointer a, and upon this cam G the bent end h of the spring ratchet-pawl H is arranged to bear. This ratchet-pawl H is pivoted at b to the frame of the mechanism, so that its upper end h will take into the teeth of the ratchetwheel, E, aspring, stantly hold the ratchet-pawl H in contact with the cut-01f cam G, while the latter has a de-- pression or recess, 6, to allowthe pawlto fall into its other end h, and disen gage its othehend h from the teeth of the ratchetvheel E at the moment it is desired to turn the cock to out off the gas; the dial F and ca being set to accomplish this at the time d ired, which releasing movement of the paw must take place whenever its end h is forced into the depression or recess 0 in the cut-off cam. The end of the winding-arbor D,upon which theratchetwheel E is secured, projects outside of the inclosing-case A and carries an embracing-hand, 1, consisting of plates secured to a disk, J, for the purpose of embracing the fiat handle of the gas-cock K, so as to turn the latter to eX- tinguish the light. This renders the device of easy attachment and removal, and requires no change whatever either in the gas-fixture or cook, and in this respect is of great convenience and advantage in the application and use of the device, while, at the same time, its position to operate the gas-cock to either cut-off or turn onthe gas is rendered permanent. For this purpose I combine with the said embracinghand I a clutch device, consisting of a pawl, d, and spring f secured to the inner face of the disk J of said hand to operate in connection with a small ratchet-wheel, g, fixed to the projectin g end of the winding-arbor D, by which arrangement the clasping-hand I is made to turn with the arbor D to turn the cock to cut off the gas, and to turn freely upon the arbor 0, being arranged to con- D in the opposite direction to let on the gas. From this arrangement of clutch-hand it will also be seen that the embracing hand I of the gascock K may also be used as a means for winding up the spring instead of a key by turning said hand back and forth by means of the clutch, the usual stop on the gas-cock limiting such movement. This may be done quickly, so that very little gas may escape during the operation of winding the spring. A key, how ever, may be used, if deemed necessary. It will be readily understood that the indicatinghand plate F, with its cut-off cam G, may be set so as to extinguish the light at any time desired by simp'lyturning the indicating-hand plate with its cam upon the hour-arbor B, so as to bring the notch e in said cam at the point 7 to receive the end h of the spring-pawl H, corresponding with the hour at which it is setto be out off. For this purpose the indicatinghand plate F is provided with a knob, i, by which the pointer a may be set with respect to the dial. For example, the cut-offhavin g been efi'ected, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, if it be desired to again set the device to be cut off in, say, six hours for street lamps, the pointer a is brought to the numeral 6, and in six hours it will have reached the numeral 12, when the cut-ofi'is again efi'ected, as heretofore described.

It is obvious that myinvention maybe used for cutting off the flow of any fluid at stated periods.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The embracing-hand for the gas-cock, arranged directly upon the winding-arbor D, as described, whereby the cut-off apparatus may be applied to any gas-cock in use without alteration, as set forth.

2. In combination with the cut-off embracing-hand I of a gas-cock, I claim the clutch device J and winding-arbor D, arranged to form an integral part of said embracing-hand, whereby the gas may be turned on or the spring wound up without removing said cut-off hand from the gas-cock, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the ratchet springpawl H with the cut-off cam G of the hour-arbor B and the ratchet-wheel E of the windingarbor D, arranged to operate to out 01f the gas, as described. r 4.. In combination with the cut-off cam G, spring-pawl H, and ratchet-wheel E, the embracing-hand I for the gas-cock, arranged upon the winding-arbor to operate as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses this 27th day of May, A. D. 1872.

A. E. H. J OHNSON, J. W. HAMILTON J OHNSON. 

